Gas producing apparatus



March 27, 1956 J. B. BROWER 2,739,608

GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed June 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 Ill]INVENTOR JOHN B. BRO/449R ATTORNEY March 27, 1956 J. B. BROWER 2,739,608

GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed June 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TORJ0///V B. seams? BY Q.

ATTORNEY nited States Patent 9 GAS PRGDUCING APPARATUS John B. Brower,Hialeah, Fla. Application June 25, 1954, Serial No. 439,238

1 Claim. (Cl. 137-391) The present invention relates to a gas producingapparatus and it consists in the combinations, constructions andarrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a gas producing apparatus which essentiallyconsists of a gasoline supply tank, an agitator tank and a gas supplytank. Novel means is provided for maintaining a constant level of liquidgasoline or fuel oil in the intermediate or agitator tank from thegasoline supply tank. The gaseous product emanating from theintermediate or agitator tank is lead to a compressor from whence it isfed to the gas supply tank. One of the features of the invention is theprovision of a novel agitator which is mounted in the agitator tank.Another feature of the invention is the provision of a pair ofmotor-operated pumps which are designed to maintain a proper level ofliquid in the agitator tank and which are controlled by novel means inthe agitator tank. Various of the other features of the invention willbe brought out in the appended specification.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a gas producingapparatus which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufactureand yet effective and efficient L1 use.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in an apparatus of thecharacter set forth, novel means for maintaining a constant level ofliquid in an agitator tank forming a part of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a apparatus of thecharacter set forth, a novel agitator forming a part of the invention.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in an apparatus ofthe character set forth, of means for pro ducing a novel and usefulcombustible gas from gasoline, or fuel oil.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in an apparatusof the character set forth, novel means for controlling a pair of pumpsforming a part of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method ofproducing combustible gas.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification taken in conjunction with thedrawing, in which:

Figure l is a schematic view, partly in elevation and partly brokenaway, illustrating an apparatus in accordance with the presentinvention,

Figures 2 and 3 are schematic views illustrating electrical circuitsinvolved in the operation of a motor controlling switch forming a partof the invention, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein agasoline supply tank mounted upon a suitable platform 11. A pipe 12extends from a point adjacent the bottom of the tank 10 upwardly througha fitting 13 to connect with a pump 14 mounted upon a platform 15 or thelike. Adjacent the pump 14 there is mounted upon the platform 15 anelectric motor 16 2 which is connected to the pump 14 by means of adrive shaft 17.

A pipe 18 similar to the pipe 12 connects the tank 10 with a pump 19likewise mounted upon the platform 15. Adjacent the pump 19 there ismounted upon the platform 15 an electric motor 20 which is connected bya drive shaft 21 with the pump 19.

A pipe 22 interconnects the pump 14 with the lower end portion of anintermediate or agitator tank 23 while the pipe 24 interconnects thepump 19 likewise with the lower end portion of the tank 23.

The tank 23 is provided with a removable cover 25 which is adapted to befastened atop the tank 23 by means of bolts 26 and wing nuts 27 inconventional manner. The tank 23 is provided with a conventional sightgauge 28 whereby the level of gasoline or fuel oil in the tank 23 may beascertained at all times, such level being indicated in the drawing at29.

A motor-control switch is generally indicated at 3%) and is mounted atopthe cover 25 and is interiorly provided with a pair of contacts 31connected by wires 32 to the motor 20 to a suitable source of electricalenergy indicated at 33. The switch 30 is also provided at its lower endwith a pair of contact members 34 which connect by means of wires 35with the motor 17 having in circuit a suitable source of electricalpower 36. A float 37 is adapted to be buoyantly supported by the liquid29 and is provided with an upwardly extending shaft 38 provided at itsupper end with a movable contact member 39 which is adapted toselectively contact the contact members 31 and the contact members 34.

A vapor supply pipe 40 interconnects the tank 23 through the cover 25with a compressor 41 mounted upon a suitable platform 42. The tank 23 isshown as being supported upon a standard 43 which is affixed to theplatform 15 but it is to be understood that the various portions of thepresent apparatus may be mounted wherever convenient or desirable andare shown in the drawings schematically for the purpose of betterillustrating the same. An electric motor 44 is likewise mounted upon theplatform 42 and is connected with the compressor 41 by a drive shaft 45.

A gas supply tank 46 is mounted upon a suitable platform 47 and isconnected with the compressor 41 by means of a pipe 43. A check valve 49is mounted in the pipe 48 adjacent to the compressor 41.

A pressure-operated switch 50 is shown mounted atop the tank 46 andconnected thereto by means of a pipe 51. The switch 50 is connected withthe motor 44 by a pair of wires 52 one of which is connected through asource of energy indicated at 53. A pressure gauge 54 is likewisemounted atop the tank 46 and connected thereto by a fitting 55.

A pair of gas supply pipes 56 is shown connected to the tank 46 and eachhas mounted therein a pressure reducing valve 57, preferably of thediaphragm type. An air supply pipe 58 extends vertically through thecover 25 into the tank 23 to a point adjacent the bottom thereof whereit is connected by means of a Y-joint 59 with a pair of divergentagitator pipes 60 each provided upon its lower side with a plurality ofminute openings 61. The upper end of the pipe 58 has mounted thereon anair cleaner 62 and, between the cover 25 and the cleaner 62 the pipe 58is provided with a check valve 63. The tank 10 is adapted to contain aquantity of gasoline as indicated at 64.

In operation, it will be apparent that the agitator tank 23 is adaptedto contain a quantity of gasoline or fuel oil 29 therein at all times,being supplied with such gasoline from the tank 10. A constant andpredetermined level of gasoline or fuel oil, as indicated at 29, ismaintained within the tank 23 through the operation of the switch 30, itbeing apparent that should too great a quantity of gasoline be presentwithin the tank 23, that the float 37 will rise and consequently throughthe shaft 38 bring the movable contact member 39 into contact with thecontact members 31 thus closing a circuit to the motor 20 to thereby putinto motion the pump 19 which is designed to pump liquid from the tank23 to the tank 10.

Likewise, it will be apparent that should the level 29 become too low,the fioat 37 and consequently the shaft 33 and movable contact member 39will all move in a downward direction to thus bring the movabie Contactmember 3% into contact with the contact members 34 thus completing anelectrical circuit to the motor 16 which, being connected to the pump1%, will cause the latter to supply gasoline from thetank 10 through thepipe 22 to the tank 23 to thus bring the level again to a proper height.incidentally, the physical level the gasoline within the tank 23 may beviewed at all times through the gauge 28.

it will also be seen that when gas within the tank 36 reaches apredetermined low pressure, that the motor will be caused to operate bymeans of the switch thus causing the compressor 41 to pump additionalgas or vapor from the upper end of the t r11 23 through the pipes 40*and 48 to the tank 46, the check valve 4 preventing any possible backfiow through the pipe 48 to the compressor all. been reached within thetank 46, it will be apparent that the switch will act to again cut ohthe motor 44 and consequently stop the operation of the compressor i1.

During the operation of the compressor 41 it will be apparent that fumesemanating from the gasoline or fuel oil 2? within the tank 23 will bedrawn through the pipe 49 thus creating a very low pressure within thetank 23 and thereby causing air to pass through the air cleaner 62, thecheck valve 63 and eventually downwardly through the openings 61 in theagitator pipes-60. This air emanating from the openings 61 will passupwardly through the mass of gasoline 29 thus to create additional fumesof an extremely combustible nature which will, in turn, be drawn ofithrough the pipe 40 as above described.

When a predetermined pressure has delivered to the tank 46 andeventually through the pipes 56 is of extremely high B. t. u. rating andthat the gasoline remaining in the tank 23 after'continued production offumes and vapors as aforesaid, has been improved in anti-knock rating.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein,it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minormodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claim.

What 'is claimed is: I

A device of the character described including a first tank, means formaintaininga constant liquid level in said first tank, and a secondtank, said means comprising a float-controlled switch mounted in theupper end ofthe first tank, a pair of electric motors, a pump connectedto each of said motors, a float adapted to be buoyantly supported byliquid in said first tank, means in said floatcontrolled switch operableby said float to selectively operate said motors, said pumps eachinterconnecting said first tank with said second tank, one of said pumpsadapted to supply liquid to and the other of said pumps adapted toremove liquid from said first tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS DawsonApr. 26, 1910 1,603,383 Fitzpatrick Oct. 19, 1926 1,832,025 Heyne Nov.17, 1931 1,871,415 Lorimer Aug. 9, 1932 2,029,556 Brown Feb. 4, 19362,300,300 Lund Oct. 27, 1942 2,577,389 Warriner Dec. 4, 1951

